Musical tells founding fathers’ story - through hip hop

Back in the ‘80s, I saw a production of “1776,” a musical based on events surrounding the Declaration of Independence.

It was a good show, but what surprised me was its faithfulness to the historical record. In “1776,” the character of John Dickinson plays a leading role, just as the actual Dickinson did in the days leading up to the Revolution.

Sometimes called the “Penman of the Revolution,” Dickinson was among the few Colonial politicians with a national reputation. His Letters from a Farmer in Pennsylvania, written in the late 1760s, broached “resistance by force” if Parliament continued ignoring the rights of colonists.

A member of the Continental Congress, Dickinson also wrote the final draft of the Causes and Necessity of Taking Up Arms, a 1775 document that includes this blunt warning for the King of England:

“Our cause is just. Our union is perfect. Our internal resources are great, and, if necessary, foreign assistance is undoubtedly attainable.”

Not quite as ringing, perhaps, as the last sentence of the Declaration of Independence, but not bad.

And yet, outside of Delaware and Pennsylvania, Dickinson is largely forgotten, for one simple reason: He did not sign the Declaration of Independence.

(He did, however, risk his life, serving as a militia officer in the war, despite his Quaker background.)

If only Dickinson had had a publicist, someone to promote his “brand,” he might today rank among the top-tier Founding Fathers.

As it stands, his shade will have to be forever satisfied with a lead role in a Broadway musical.

I thought about “1776” after seeing “Hamilton,” a musical about the man who for the time being graces our $10 bill. (It’s been suggested that Alexander Hamilton be removed from his place of prominence in favor of a woman.)

Creating an entertaining and fairly educational musical about the writing of the Declaration of Independence was, I thought, a pretty neat trick.

But it pales in comparison to this new musical. As it happens, I had read the book that inspired the show, Ron Chernow’s “Hamilton.”

I recall thinking that Hamilton’s life would make a good movie or miniseries, like HBO’s “John Adams,” based on the book by David McCullough. Hamilton’s life was more extraordinary - and certainly more entertaining - than Adams’s.

And, ultimately, he played a larger role in shaping America’s future.

But I never would have dreamed of a musical.

Much less a musical with characters like Hamilton, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison and George Washington played by black and Latino actors.

Much less a hip-hop musical. (And yes, Jefferson and Hamilton engage in what I guess would be the first onstage depiction of a cabinet meeting as hip-hop throwdown.)

And much less a musical that was, by turns, laugh-out-loud funny and heartbreakingly tragic.

But what really amazed me was that it was both entertaining and historically accurate. (Okay, maybe some artistic license was taken with the cabinet-meeting throwdown.)

Still, it follows the book more faithfully than I would have imagined. Many shows and movies claim to be “based on a true story,” but, for dramatic reasons, are unbound by reality.

The achievement of creator Lin-Manuel Miranda is staggering. I know of no equal. He wrote the music, lyrics and book for the hit show and stars in the title role.

It would be as if Leonard Bernstein not only composed the music for “West Side Story,” but also wrote the words and book and played the role of Tony.

While I wouldn’t expect a musical to exert much influence on the culture at large, I was encouraged to see a show that, potentially, could be enjoyed by liberals and conservatives alike.

After all, Hamilton’s story, that of the scrappy immigrant, is as much as anyone’s the story of America.

And so is Miranda’s. Miranda, a Latino, embraced the story of a white man who rose through hard work and wit, and turned it into a hip-hop musical, starring a mostly black and Latino cast.

The mostly white audience, in turn, recognized Miranda’s achievement, standing for a thunderous ovation.

That says something positive about a country that, politically, appears to have caught the express train to Crazy Town.

My wife Helen, son Josh and I happened to attend the same show as President Obama and his daughters. We didn’t actually see him - our seats were up in the bleachers - but his attendance set the audience abuzz. Security was tight, but less intrusive than the airport.

“Hamilton” officially opens Aug. 6. I did not go as a hip-hop fan or even expecting to like the show. But it’s terrific, ranking with the best I’ve seen, including classics like “West Side Story” and “Fiddler on the Roof.”

And one more thing, Hamilton deserves to be on the $10 bill! We can drop Andrew Jackson and put a woman on the $20.


Don Flood is a former newspaper editor living near Lewes. He can be reached at floodpolitics@gmail.com.